The present invention relates generally to combination refrigerators having fresh food and freezer compartments separated by a partition. More particularly, the invention relates to the prevention of unsightly condensation forming on the partition surfaces facing the fresh food compartment.
In such refrigerators, as a result of thermal leakage, the partition surface facing the fresh food compartment is normally cooler than the air temperature within the fresh food compartment. In the case of a simple partition, the thermal leakage is through the partition to the freezer compartment. In the case of a partition which includes an evaporator for forced-air cooling of the compartments, the thermal leakage is to the evaporator as well as to the freezer compartment.
Under some conditions of refrigerator usage, for example, with frequent door opening during high ambient humidity conditions, moisture tends to condense on the cool partition surface facing the fresh food compartment. Typically this partition surface is either plastic or painted steel. The moisture condensation typically forms into unsightly droplets.
The problem is particularly severe in refrigerators of the "top-mount" configuration wherein the freezer compartment is above the fresh food compartment. In this case, the cool partition surface is the top of the fresh food compartment. Large droplets of water forming, in addition to being unsightly, drop onto food stored in the compartment.
Many prior art refrigerators utilize heaters to warm the partition surface sufficiently to prevent the formation of moisture thereon. While this arrangement performs satisfactorily, it has the disadvantage of increased energy consumption. The increased energy consumption is a result not only of the energy required to operate the heaters, but of the additional thermal load on the refrigeration system.